Music Teacher Resume: Sample & Writing Guide [20+ Tips]

Passionate about all that jazz but can’t find a music teaching job? Win the first violin with this top-notch music teacher resume example.

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Some days, you’re surprised your hearing works at all. Kids learning the violin. Angry teens with electric guitars. Adults dreaming of becoming famous singers with no vocal skills whatsoever. But you also meet talented individuals, and they keep you going.

The better the school you work for—the better your chances of coaching future world-class musicians. It’s time to write a professional music teacher resume that gets you to the Juilliard level.

This guide will show you:

A music teacher resume example better than 9 out of 10 other resumes.
How to write a music teacher resume that will land you more interviews.
Tips and examples of how to put skills and achievements on a music teacher resume.
How to describe your experience on a resume for a music teacher to get any job you want.

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Music Teacher Resume Sample

Mark Marshall

239-672-0422

mmarshall@mail.com

Summary of Qualifications

State certified music teacher with 6+ years of experience in music instruction and music history teaching. Planned and taught curriculums for elementary and high school students and organized a variety of school choir performances. At Collins Elementary School developed an extra-curricular teaching program that prepared students for a secondary music school exam and resulted in a 100% pass rate. Seeking to bring passion and expertise to your classroom.

Work Experience

Music Teacher

St. Peter’s High School, Orlando, FL

Sep 2015–Jul 2018

Designed and taught music history curriculum to over 200 9-12th graders.
Managed classes of up to 30 students and maintained a positive classroom environment.
Provided students with clear learning objectives and developed monthly assessment plans.
Organized school trips to cultural institutions, including theatres and concert halls.
Directed a students’ chorus group and prepared them to school performances.

Key achievement:

Organized a city hall school chorus concert that raised funds for new music classroom equipment.

Music Teacher

Collins Elementary School, Gainesville, FL

Jan 2012–Aug 2015

Managed 7 classes at various grade levels (from 4th to 6th grade).
Planned music lessons and integrated cultural topics to the general curriculum.
Instructed students in guitar playing and singing and promoted music appreciation.
Created authorial teaching materials using different technology, such as EarTrainer and SmartMusic apps, microphones, and recording equipment.
Organized monthly music performances which involved individual student singers and a school choir.
Run after-school choir workshops and rehearsal sessions.

Key achievement:

Developed an extra-curricular teaching program that prepared students for secondary music school exams. The project resulted in a 100% pass rate.

Education

Master of Music Education

University of Florida in Gainesville, FL

2012-2015

Bachelor of Music Education

University of Florida in Gainesville, FL

2009-2012

Applied Music Diploma

Rollins College, Winter Park, FL

2009

Key Skills

Communication
Students interactions management
Enthusiasm and friendliness
Compassion and empathy
Lesson scheduling
Instructional skills
Listening skills
Perceptiveness
Playing the piano and guitar
Knowledge of musical elements (rhythm, articulation, tempo, flow)
Knowledge of recording equipment

Hobbies and Interests

Playing the guitar in a jazz band, The Strings
Musical therapy
History of dance

Certifications

Music in Early Childhood Education Course Certificate, 2014
Music Teacher Certificate from the Florida Department of Education, 2015

Here’s how to write a job-winning music teacher resume:

1. Choose the Best Format for Your Music Teacher Resume

As a music teacher, you surely know the importance of a good composition.

A well-versed instrumental piece? It needs to follow the structure.

The same applies to your music teacher resume. An effective resume format is key.

Follow these formatting rules to compose a job-winning music teacher resume:

Use the resume heading that includes your phone number and contact info.
Divide your document into resume sections which are easy to navigate.
Choose a reverse chronological resume format that clearly presents your work history and achievements.
Pick the best resume font. Don’t go too jazzy, classics always win.
Keep your resume clean: use neat headings and leave enough white spacing.
Finally, save your resume file as PDF. It’s machine-readable and it opens everywhere.

Pro Tip: Whether you’re writing an elementary music teacher resume or trying to land a job at a university, keep your resume formal. Kids love flowery templates but school principals don’t.

2. Write a Job-Winning Music Teacher Resume Objective or Summary

Let’s face the music:

Hiring managers and school principals are busy. They won't spend hours looking at your resume for the first time. They take mere seconds.

That’s why you need an earworm professional profile on your resume.

This can be a resume summary or resume objective:

A resume summary works well for candidates with over 2 years of professional experience. It promotes your key accomplishments and the best moments in your career.

A resume objective is a better choice for those targeting entry-level positions. It highlights your skills and motivation behind the job search.

Pro Tip: When writing your resume summary or objective, remember to include quantifiable achievements. A number or two will do the work.

3. Create a Perfect Music Teacher Job Description for a Resume

Listen carefully:

Your resume experience section matters.

It’s where you highlight your key achievements and best career moments in more detail.

Here’s how to drum it up:

Begin with your last or current job, then follow up with the previous positions.
For each job entry list: your job titles, company names, locations, and dates worked.
Add up to 6 bullet points describing your duties and accomplishments for each position.
Use resume action verbs, such as contributed, encouraged, energized, harmonized, partnered, etc.

Pro Tip: Tailoring your resume to a job description is always a good idea. Fine tune your experience bullet points so they reflect the needs of your future employer.

4. Make Your Music Teacher Resume Education Section Great

Your voice sounds sweet and you know how to play the guitar?

You’re targeting a job in the education sector. The skills are crucial but sometimes not enough.

Many schools require a music teacher degree or a certification program. To teach in elementary and secondary public schools you also need to be accredited as a teacher.

Follow these tips when listing your education on a resume:

If you have over 5 years of professional experience, list your degree, school name and location, and the year of graduation.
When you have little or no work experience, elaborate on your education and list your extracurricular activities, academic achievements, and relevant coursework.

Pro Tip: If you want to show the recruiter that you keep up with the teaching trends, add professional groups you belong to on your resume. The Teachers National Association (MTNA) is one of the most prominent ones.

5. Highlight Your Music Teacher Skills

Use the list below to highlight your key music teacher skills:

Music Teacher Resume Skills

Communication skills
Collaboration
Enthusiasm and friendliness
Compassion and empathy
Lesson registration and scheduling
Instructional skills
Classroom management
Listening skills
Perceptiveness
Knowledge of musical elements (rhythm, articulation, tempo, flow)

Knowledge of recording equipment

How to get it just right? Follow these tips:

Take a sheet of paper and list all the professional skills you think you have: soft skills, hard skills, and technical skills.
Reread the job offer closely and recognize the skills they’re looking for.
Look at your list again and pick the skills mentioned in the job offer.
Put them on your resume for a music teacher in a separate skills section like the one on the sample above.

Pro Tip: It’s very common for music teachers to specialize in one field only. Teaching students how to sing? Or maybe how to play the piano? Focus on your specialization and add a few professional skills related to your field of expertise.

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6. Add Other Sections to Your Music Teacher Resume

Is there anything else that you can add to your professional music teacher resume?

Extra sections.

They can really change the recruiter’s tune!

Here’s how to do it:

Any achievements and awards in the world of music? Make them stand out under a separate heading on your resume!
Add some volunteer experience—it always counts when you’re looking for a teaching job.
Make a list of your hobbies and interests to show the recruiter or school principal something special about yourself.
List the languages you speak. Great that you understand the notes but the language of music is often not enough.

7. Attach a Music Teacher Resume Cover Letter

Do you need a cover letter for your music teacher resume?

Well—

About 50% of recruiters still read cover letters.

That’s why you definitely need one!

See the tips below to write your cover letter in no time:

Follow the cover letter formatting rules.
Set the right tone with your cover letter intro.
Show your future employer that you can really help them out.
Make an offer in your cover letter conclusion.

Pro Tip: If you want to pull out all the stops to get this music teacher job, follow up on your job application. This will show the recruiter you’re a serious candidate.

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

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See more cover letter templates and start writing.

This is it!

You’ve just hit the right note and won that interview!

Do you have any other questions on how to write a resume for music teacher jobs? Or perhaps you want to jazz your music teacher resume up? We’d love to hear from you, leave your comment below!

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